§ Mr. Bakerasked the Minister for the Civil Service (1) how many civil servants will cease to be employed in each of the years 1977–78, 1978–79 and 1979–80 to 32W secure the cost savings of £50 million, £140 million, and £130 million set out in Command Paper No. 6393;
(2) when he will pubish details, Department by Department, of the reductions in Civil Service manpower referred to in Command Paper No. 6393.
§ Mr. Charles R. MorrisThe savings in expenditure on staff and related administrative costs set out in Command Paper No. 6393, which refers to cuts in expenditure on manpower and related administration, are reductions below the forecast levels for those years which provided for some increase above present strengths. Departments are at present reviewing thoroughly all aspects of their work and decisions on the precise nature of the reductions in expenditure will be taken in the light of this review. I cannot at this stage anticipate the timing or content of these decisions. But the consequence of achieving savings of this order will be to reduce the strength of the Civil Service by 1978 to a size, allowing for the Manpower Services Commission, similar to that of last summer.